On small electronic devices, such as mobile telephones and PDAs (personal digital assistants), there is only a small area which is available for user input buttons whilst any reduction in the size and spacing of buttons is limited by the size of a human finger. If buttons are too small and/or are too close together, they become difficult to use and the possibility of accidental key presses increases.
In order to increase the available area for buttons and other user input devices, some small electronic devices incorporate a touch sensitive screen. User input in such devices may be through a combination of soft buttons on the screen and physical buttons, or alternatively, all inputs may be made via the touch sensitive screen. However, the size of the touch screen is still limited by the overall device size and the same restriction applies to reducing the size and spacing of soft buttons. Furthermore, when a user touches the screen, a significant portion of the display area may be obscured from view.
The embodiments described below are not limited to implementations which solve any or all of the disadvantages of known electronic devices.